The present invention relates generally to wheelchair and other patient chair attachments and more specifically to a new and improved slipper for the feet of users of wheelchairs and other patient chairs which is attached to the footplate of such chairs.
Numerous problems typically arise when a patient, disabled person or other individual is confined to a wheelchair, mobile comfort chair, geriatric chair or other type of patient chair. One problem is that the user's feet are easily chafed or bruised from resting upon a conventional patient chair footplate which is made from a hard material such as rubber or metal. Another problem which confronts the users of such chairs is that their feet often become cold, as they are forced to sit in the chairs for hours at a time. Since the users of such chairs are often incapable of leaving the chair without assistance in order to obtain a pair slippers to cover their feet, it is important that they be able to protect their feet when necessary yet leave them free and comfortable without requiring assistance from another person in order to don the footwear. Still another problem is that the user's feet often slip off the footplate and drag onto the floor, even where conventional slippers are utilized. Further, users may totally fall off of the chair or slump forward in the chair, which is a particular problem with disabled individuals and other users who lack normal body control.
The above problems have generally remained unsolved by the prior art. A decubitus plate cover is known which is designed to easily slide on and off of wheelchair footplates. Such a cover consists of a continuous band of material which slips over a conventional wheelchair footrest plate and which is covered along its entire outer surface by a layer of soft material. The cover assists in the prevention of bed sores and decubitus ulcers, but it is not designed for use as a slipper and cannot be used to cover a user's foot. Additionally, the plate cover does not include any structure which would permit it to be snugly retained upon a wheelchair footplate, nor is any structure provided for retaining a user's foot upon the cover when such retention is desired or necessary.
Other prior art devices have been designed which are utilized to protect and shield a user's feet while in bed but are not adapted for use in conjunction with a wheelchair footplate and could not be used as slippers. For example, Posey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,417, discloses a protective shield which can be placed over a patient's foot in order to fully ventilate and cushion the foot against bed sores. The pad includes a generally rectangular sheet which has a smooth, slick exterior surface to facilitate sliding against bed clothes. A soft layer of material designed to fit against a patient's skin is disposed over the sheet in order to prevent chafing and the development of sores. An additional insert of soft absorbent material is also provided for extra protection. This shield, however, is used mainly as a support and protective device and could not easily be adapted for use as a slipper. Furthermore, the shield is not capable of being attached to or retained by a patient chair by itself.
Gaylord, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,218, discloses a heel or elbow pad designed to cushion specific body parts and protect against the development of bed sores. The pad includes a body member formed of outer and inner sheets surrounding a core of resilient flexible cushioning material. A strap of woven material is attached to the pad and secured at each of its ends by Velcro or other suitable fastening elements. The pad cannot, however, be attached to a wheelchair footplate by itself. Additionally, the pad is designed for use as a protective device for bed sores rather than as a covering or slipper for a user in a chair, and would be too bulky to be utilized for the latter purpose.
Alessio, U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,237, discloses a urethane foam heel and ankle protector. The protector is wrapped around a user's foot to enable the toes and adjacent foot end to be free, and is attached to itself by a Velcro fastener. The protector has no soft inner coating to prevent chafing or the development of bed sores or ulcers, and cannot therefore be utilized as a protective slipper, nor does the protector include any structure which would permit it to be attached to a wheelchair or other patient chair footplate.
Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,592,739, discloses an ankle support used by athletes for cushioning their feet, preventing sprains and other injuries. The anklet includes an elastic understrap attached to its bottom edges in order to retain the same upon a user's foot. The anklet surrounds a user's lower leg and ankle and does not surround a foot and function as a slipper. Furthermore, the anklet does not include any flat element which could be be placed upon a wheelchair footplate with the aid of a structure that would enable such an element to be retained upon the plate.
Chisholm, U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,520, discloses a motorized wheelchair which includes two footplates, each of which has a heel abutment anchored thereupon. Although these heel abutments are designed to support a user's foot upon the footplate, they are not designed to be slipped over the footplates themselves, nor could such heel attachments be used as slippers to receive a patient's entire foot.
It is clear that all of these prior art devices are incapable of simply and inexpensively providing a slipper for a wheelchair or other patient chair which will be snugly retained upon a footrest plate, preventing a user's foot from chafing or bruising, maintaining the foot in a warm and comfortable condition and keeping the foot in a stable position upon the footplate. None of the prior art devices employs a suitable structure which would enable such a wheelchair attachment to remain upon the footrest whether or not the patient was in the chair, and none allows the user the choice of utilizing or ignoring the slipper while he is sitting upon the chair. All of the above disclosed devices clearly provide for protection of the user's foot, but not for convenience of use and overcoming of the aforementioned problems which confront the users of such wheelchairs.